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There is always turnover. As akways, we are counting on free agents and 2nd year players for significant meaningful reps.

However, it does seem that, even before the season starts, we are counting on rookies much more than normal. At this point, it would be a dissapointment if we don't have significant contributions from 5 of our top 7 rookies. I suspect that this board will be disappointed if we don't get signifcant contributions from 6 of the top 7.

In some sense, we are COUNTING ON rookie production at tight end and at punter.

I expect us to win the division. That has been always been the goal. The second season is just that, a second opportunity.

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The division is a goal but as long as we make the playoffs,I am not concerned with it - Home Field was not much of an aid last year so its no big deal if we go on the road this time as a wild card compared to being a 5th or 6th seed instead of a 3rdor 4th..means little IMO,Its whoever comes to play better that day regardless of where its played at.

Not that this is the same situation as 2003, but Wilson, Koppen, and Warren all started as rookies (althogh not off the bat) and Samuel and Bethel Johnson played roles. Also, second year players Branch, Givens, and Graham all started.

Not that this is the same situation as 2003, but Wilson, Koppen, and Warren all started as rookies (althogh not off the bat) and Samuel and Bethel Johnson played roles. Also, second year players Branch, Givens, and Graham all started.

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Heres the problem...those rookies were surrounded by veteran and all pro type players and great locker room influences....there are no Vrabels,McGinests or Bruschis around to help make the transition easier for them....much more difficult now IMO

Heres the problem...those rookies were surrounded by veteran and all pro type players and great locker room influences....there are no Vrabels,McGinests or Bruschis around to help make the transition easier for them....much more difficult now IMO

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Look, Chung has Merriweather (who had Rodney)
Spikes has Mayo (who ws taught by Bruschi)
Gronk and Hernandez have Crumpler (who even BB has lauded with praise for his professionalism and work ethic).
I believe Vince Wilfork is still around for the D-lineman, and you know, the guy who coached Lawrence Taylor, he might still be around someplace too.

Heres the problem...those rookies were surrounded by veteran and all pro type players and great locker room influences....there are no Vrabels,McGinests or Bruschis around to help make the transition easier for them....much more difficult now IMO

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Notice on offense how rapidly the rookies and 2nd yr players with talent have flourished. Why? Brady, Moss, Welker, Faulk... as veteran mentors, seting examples mostly lacking on the 2010 D as you said.

It's certainly a concern for a playoff contender to be counting on production from so many inexperienced players, but it's not as if this is a sudden unexpected turn of events. Before the final gun sounded in last year's playoff game, we all knew the Pats would be counting on a lot of rookies and second year players this year. This is the second year of rebuilding the team, though the fact the Pats never bottomed out to a double-digit losing season perhaps reload is a better term than rebuild.

WR: With Welker's injury the expectation at the end of last season was that Edelman would have to fill his role for most, if not all of 2010. Tate was being counted on to replace Galloway/Aiken. With Welker's miracle recovery he apparently will be available to start the season, but the two 2nd-year players were, and still are expected to have much more significant playing time this year.

TE: It wasn't much of a surprise that neither Watson or Baker returned to the team this year. And it was no shock that the Pats drafted a tight end early. However I didn't expect the Pats to select two tight ends early, and it looks like the Pats will be counting on far more production from them than I would have anticipated back in January.

OL: The lack of availability of Mankins and Kaczur was not expected at all seven months ago. It has resulted in Connolly going from the third OL off the bench to a starting position, and others (one or two of Bussey, Wendell, Ohrnberger) moving up in a backup role. Granted Connolly is not a rookie or 2nd year player, but he is someone with no starting experience that we were not expecting to have to count on a few months ago.

DL: The departure of Jarvis Green was expected; the loss of Ty Warren was not. Many (self included) expected the Pats to draft a DE, but their replacements are veterans. Regardless, the Pats will now count on more production from one or both of two 2nd year players, Ron Brace and Myron Pryor. That reminds me: what's Darryl Richard doing these days?

OLB: Parting ways with Adalius Thomas could not happen soon enough for most people. As expected the Pats drafted an OLB, and Jermaine Cunningham will be counted on heavily in his rookie season. What was not expected is how much the Pats may end up counting on other OLBs with little experience. Marques Murrell is in his 4th season but has never started, and Rob Ninkovich has never started either, with almost all of his time in his 23 NFL games coming on special teams.

ILB: Rookie Brandon Spikes will be starting, and Tyrone McKenzie has for all intents and purposes a rookie too.

CB: It was a mild surprise at most when Shawn Springs was let go. Darius Butler was thrust into a starting role, but he did get a decent amount of playing time when Springs was sidelined last year. Drafting another corner caught a lot of Pats fans by surprise, and Devin McCourty will be counted on to contribute very much this year.

S: Second year player Pat Chung played in about 20% of the team's defensive snaps last year; he'll be counted on in a very big way this season as a starter.

ST: Rookie Zoltan Mesko takes over as punter.

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That's seven players with no NFL experience the Pats will be counting on, plus seven 2nd-year players that are being counted on much more significantly then last year. On top of that there are four more players without starting experience that will be counted on to produce much more than they have in the past. That's a whole lot for any NFL team, and is probably unheard of for team that won the division the previous year.

Not to be a gloom-and-doomer, but I think it is realistic to be some growing pains somewhere along the way as these players gain valuable experience this season.

I count 5 rookies (McCourty, Gronk, Spikes, Hernandez, Mesko) and six 2nd year guys (Chung, Butler, Vollmer, Tate, Ingram and Edelman) who almost certainly will be key factors (yes, LS is a key position). If Brace and Cunningham are healthy, that's possibly 2 more. Pryor could contribute. All in all, that's 14 1st and 2nd year players. How quickly can they develop? IMO, that's the key to the season. I didn't include Price or McKenzie who at this point don't expect to see many snaps.

Notice on offense how rapidly the rookies and 2nd yr players with talent have flourished. Why? Brady, Moss, Welker, Faulk... as veteran mentors, seting examples mostly lacking on the 2010 D as you said.

There is going to have to be a TON of luck and A LOT of breaks for a team with so many young players for the Pats to win a SB this year,but thats why they play the games.

Last year featured a team that could not hold a 4th quarter lead - could not beat any real good team and was horrid on the road.

Is this team so much better than last years?- no one really knows what these rookies will do to fix those problems.

I will enjoy watching what the future high draft picks of this team do and how they mature into being leaders into the future,thats my excitement looking forward to for the 2010 version of the New England Patriots

I count 5 rookies (McCourty, Gronk, Spikes, Hernandez, Mesko) and six 2nd year guys (Chung, Butler, Vollmer, Tate, Ingram and Edelman) who almost certainly will be key factors (yes, LS is a key position). If Brace and Cunningham are healthy, that's possibly 2 more. Pryor could contribute. All in all, that's 14 1st and 2nd year players. How quickly can they develop? IMO, that's the key to the season. I didn't include Price or McKenzie who at this point don't expect to see many snaps.

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Add Cunningham to that list of getting less snaps IF he stays off IR,I think you won't see a great deal of this guy in 2010

2005 was a poor draft? If Mankins, Kaczur, Sanders, Hobbs, and Wright (UDFA) is a poor haul, then every team in the NFL sucks at drafting. There are a lot of teams that would kill to get one all-pro and four starters/borderline starters out of a draft.

2005 and 2008 were fine, it's 2006-2007 that was kinda weak, and I won't really fault the Pats for 2007 either since they did get Welker and Moss out of it. The poor drafting angle is severely overplayed.

And in case anyone's forgotten, the SB teams relied heavily on first and second year guys to win titles. Players like Seymour, Brady, Light, Wilson, Samuel, Warren, Wilfork, Branch, and Givens all contributed a lot from very early on in their careers.

Home Field was not much of an aid last year so its no big deal if we go on the road this time as a wild card compared to being a 5th or 6th seed instead of a 3rdor 4th..means little IMO,Its whoever comes to play better that day regardless of where its played at.

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Lets not be so sure about that. In the regular season they were 8-0 last year at home, 1-6 on the road, and 1-0 at a neutral site. They are clearly a WAY better team at home. Regardless of that, there's always one team that makes home field extremely important, the Colts. Making the Colts have to beat them at an outdoors stadium away from the dome they pump noise into is reason enough to value HFA.